Grammy Award-winning rapper Lil Durk faces federal charges for paying for attempted revenge murder of rapper Quando Rondo at a Los Angeles gas station in 2022, the shooting that killed Rondo’s cousin. He was arrested in Florida.
Dark, 32, is charged with conspiracy to commit murder in the murder of Sabiyah Robinson, 24, who was shot and killed on Aug. 19, 2022, according to an FBI affidavit released Friday. There is.
Five other members of Dark’s Chicago-based rap collective Only the Family, or OTF, were also arrested, according to court documents filed. At least two people may be arrested in the future. Mr. Dark was arrested Thursday night. The FBI said he attempted to flee the country in South Florida.
Dirk (real name Dirk Banks) won a Grammy Award for Best Melodic Rap Performance earlier this year for his song “All My Life” featuring J. Cole. He has been nominated three times and was also a featured performer on Drake’s “Laugh Now Cry Later.”
Los Angeles U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada called the shooting a “cold-blooded murder.”
“The shooting occurred outside at a gas station at a busy intersection and put many people living in the area at risk,” Estrada said in a statement. “This type of violent gun crime This has been devastating to our communities and we will never tolerate it.” For those who committed such ruthless acts of violence. ”
FBI agent Sarah Corcoran said in an affidavit that OTF members committed “violence, including murder and assault, at Banks’ direction and to maintain their positions in OTF.”
A representative for Mr. Dalke did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment on Friday.
The shooting occurred in November 2020 at an Atlanta nightclub when Von and Rondo got into an argument that killed OTF rapper King Von, 26, according to Corcoran’s affidavit and other federal court records. It all stems from what I did. Rondo’s friend pulled out a gun and shot Fong several times, killing him, records show. Von, real name Davon Bennett, had two hit singles, “Crazy Story” and “Took Her to the Oh.”
Authorities said Durk had publicly promised to “pay a reward” to anyone who killed Rondo, whose real name was Tikian Bowman.
Almost two years later, the murder plan came together quickly, Corcoran wrote.
On August 18, 2022, Mr. Durck’s associates learned that Mr. Rondo was staying at a hotel in Los Angeles. That day, DeAndre Wilson, Keith Jones, David Lindsay, Asa Houston and an unnamed fifth suspect flew from Chicago to San Diego and then flew to Los Angeles using funds provided by Dark, Corcoran said. He said he went there by car.
That day, Durk allegedly sent a text message to the employee who was arranging the flight, saying, “Please don’t book tickets under names that are not related to me.” Corcoran said there is video evidence that Dark was staying at the San Fernando Valley home that day.
Upon arriving in Los Angeles, OTF members met Kayon Grant, who had flown there on a private jet. According to court records, Grant, an OTF executive, secured hotel rooms for the men, purchased four ski masks and obtained two luxury sedans. Grant allegedly gave Jones, Lindsey and a third suspect guns, including one that had been converted into a machine gun.
The next day, the group allegedly followed Rondo and Robinson as they drove in a Cadillac Escalade to a marijuana dispensary in Los Angeles, a clothing store in West Hollywood, and a gas station across the street from the Beverly Center.
There, Houston allegedly parked his car behind the station so Jones, Lindsay, and the unnamed defendant could ambush Rondo. They got out of their car and opened fire, killing Robinson, who was standing outside the Escalade, while Rondo disappeared, according to the indictment and news articles about the shooting.
The suspects then went to an In-N-Out hamburger stand where they discussed payment with Grant before flying home from San Diego to Chicago, according to the Corcoran documents and other documents. Wilson later allegedly paid Jones and Lindsay an undisclosed amount.
Mr. Grant, Mr. Jones, Mr. Lindsay, Mr. Wilson and Mr. Houston were arrested in Chicago on Thursday on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder. Attorney information for the men was not immediately available from court records.
Corcoran wrote that after his arrest, Dark booked two flights from an airport in South Florida, one to Dubai and one to Switzerland. He then booked a private flight to Italy, but was arrested in Miami before boarding.
Mr. Dark and the other defendants are being held pending extradition to Los Angeles.
In 2019, Durk and King Vuong were charged with a drive-by shooting in Atlanta that left a man injured in the leg. Prosecutors dropped the case against Durk in 2022, two years after Fong’s murder. Durk denied any involvement.
In 2014, Dark was seen with a gun on a Chicago street and pleaded guilty to aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and being a felon in possession of a firearm. He was spared a prison sentence.
Bellwood and Broadview, two villages in Chicago’s western suburbs, announced last week that they would honor Dirk and partner with his charity, the Neighborhood Heroes Foundation, to provide youth mentors.
But on Friday, Broadview Mayor Katrina Thompson announced she was severing ties with Neighborhood Heroes and revoking the village honor key given to Dirk.
Thompson acknowledged the presumption of innocence of Dark and the other suspects, but wrote on the village’s Facebook page that village residents have “higher standards of moral and ethical conduct.” Ta.
A phone message seeking comment was left with Bellwood Mayor Andre Harvey at his office.
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Associated Press writer John O’Connor in Chicago contributed to this report.
